KAIST-hosted 'Future Mobility Awards' Ceremony on the 25th
US Startup Canoo's Pickup Truck Wins Commercial Vehicle Category
Renault's Electric Car Receives Passenger Vehicle Category Award
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has selected France's Renault 'Renault 5 EV Concept Car' and the pickup truck from the American startup Canoo as this year's future concept cars.
On the afternoon of the 25th, KAIST held the '2021 Future Mobility (FMOTY) Awards' ceremony at the Renault Samsung headquarters in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, to announce these results.
The 'Future Mobility Awards' is the world's first concept car award ceremony, hosted by the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Green Transportation at KAIST. From last year to the first quarter of this year, a total of 46 concept cars unveiled at global auto shows were evaluated, and models showcasing useful transportation technologies and innovative services for future society were selected in the passenger car and commercial vehicle categories respectively.
The judging panel consisted of 16 automotive journalists from 11 countries, including Georg Kacher, editor-in-chief of Germany's Car Magazine, and Charlie Turner, editor of the UK's BBC Top Gear Magazine.
This year, the passenger car category award went to Renault Group's Renault 5 EV Concept Car. It is a compact electric vehicle that reinterprets France's national car, the Renault 5, for the electric vehicle era, receiving high marks for practicality and eco-friendliness. The commercial vehicle category award was given to the pickup truck from American electric vehicle venture Canoo. It received overwhelming support from the judges as an electric commercial vehicle with innovative design and price competitiveness suitable for various everyday uses.
Notably, while Hyundai dominated both categories at last year's 2nd awards ceremony, showcasing the strength of Korean concept cars, this year the American startup Canoo won in the commercial vehicle category, drawing attention to shifts in the automotive market landscape. As the paradigm shifts from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles, it is evident that emerging electric vehicle startups possess competitiveness comparable to established automakers.
For more details, please visit the official website of the 'Future Mobility Awards'.
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